Anasorein
|Row 4 title = Racial Capital |Row 4 info = Amastril (Former) East Lowes |Row 5 title = Leaders |Row 5 info = Telriah II Embershield Kalstrin Wintersteel Eridan Silverwood |Row 6 title = Primary Language |Row 6 info = Sevenoxana |Row 7 title = Secondary Languages |Row 7 info = Common Orcish Most known languages |Row 8 title = Life Span |Row 8 info = 600-2,000 years (Capable of living for thousands of years) |Row 9 title = Average Height |Row 9 info = Approx. 5'6"-5'10" (Male) Approx. 5'-5'6" (Female) |Row 10 title = Average Weight |Row 10 info = Approx. 130-180 lbs (Male) Approx. 100-150 lbs (Female) }}The Anasorein (Dawn's Chosen translated from Sevenoxana to Common) are a sub-species of the Kaldorei that are native to the area known and referred to as Quel'Anaris. The Anasorein originate from Suramar, through the lineage of Arzalos Aurelstar, and the House of Aurelstar. Though Arzalos himself was not an Anasorein, his son, Arzalen, went on to eventually become one through the devolution of his people via the Arcanwell on Amastril seeping its energies to them following the events known as the 'Fall of Amastril'. A fleeting race of Elves, the Anasorein are powerful casters, and hold mastery over most forms of magic, including the rarely used psionic types of magic. Characteristics & Appearance The Anasorein are noteworthy among the different Elven races, displaying many differing qualities in how they appear. Purplish skin tones, ranging from light violets to light blues to pale skin tones. Hair colors favor the lighter spectrum of colors, with many Anasorein sporting platinum blonde, silver, gray, white, and even gold colorations. Red is known to exist amongst rare cases, such as Eridan Silverwood or D'torina Embershield. They are, for a certainty, a graceful and beautiful species of Elves, much like the High Elves. They possess the characteristics that show off their noble lineage, their ancestry, and their potency with magic. Many have eyes that will glow, the color changing dependent on the usage of their magic. Though for some, like Telriah Aurelstar, have eyes that glow gold, signifying her as the chosen champion of Kelendri. While many Anasorein exhibit the same facial features as most of Elfkind, namely that of their High Elven cousins to the North, the most prominent distinction is that of their eye shape. The eyes of the Anasorein are known and shown to be slanted, and angled upwards, giving the appearance of their eyeshape being more in line with that of the Kaldorei. However, in exchange for this, the Anasorein are shorter than average Elves, with a majority of women sporting a height of 5'6" at the maximum, and 6' for men. It is believed that both the combined factors of devolution and the Astranawelll are the main culprits behind this change. History Recent Events Relations with other Races Quel'dorei & Sin'dorei Due to the conflict dating back sixty-eight hundred years from the present date, many Anasorein have a deeply seeded resentment for most of the Quel'dorie and Sin'dorei, with the latter being reinforced by the Truespear Invasion. However, those who live within Quel'Anaris, a province of the Kingdom of Amastril, are forgiven by many of the Anasorein due to their camaraderie during the invasion. On the other hand, the hatred for Quel'dorei, again, minus those within Quel'Anaris, goes much further and deeper due to several reasons. Their official leader, following the resurgence of the House of Aurelstar, was insulted time and time again by several of the High Elven populace, notably, the leader of a paramilitary group that worked closely with the Alliance as part of the Silver Covenant. While Telriah the Second rebuked these insults and the threats that followed, namely invasion and personal harm, the Anasorein people believe that the Quel'dorei cannot be trusted. Humans Following the death of Arzalos Aurelstar, and the coronation of Arzalen Embershield, humans made up a significant portion of the population of the Kingdom of Amastril. It is due to this that the Anasorein are more friendly and xenophilic to the humans than they are to other Elven species. They share a history of working together; Blessings by the Kelendric Pantheon and superior weapons and armor in exchange for the sheer numbers humans could provide. It is the relationship between the Vale of Manius and Kingdom of Amastril that spurred forth the love and care for humans that the Anasorein now have, for they know that without them, they'd lack numbers to make up their military and protection. Most Anasorein see humans as short-lived family members, and it is a tradition and belief that an Anasorein must always offer their services to a human for all the service their ancestors have provided. Kaldorei Unlike the Quel'dorei/Sin'dorei, the Anasorein have much more respect and fondness for the Kaldorei. Since the Anasorein left of their own volition, realizing they'd have no place in their society, and knowing what they were doing was dangerous, they did not hold it against their brethren for their views on the arcane. Furthermore, due to the leadership of Alexanya Moonfall, more and more Kaldorei have become citizens of the Kingdom of Amastril, and proven their worth as a race to the kingdom. They view themselves as being more in line and sharing common ground with the Kaldorei, rather than the Quel'dorei. Combat Unlike their Highborne counterparts in Quel'Thalas, and their Kaldorei forebears in Kalimdor, the Anasorein prefer to use weapons with a longer reach, rather than get into close quarters fighting. Most Anasorei will opt for a long reaching weapon of sorts, such as a spear, pike or halberd. The reason for this is a deeply seeded habit of the early Anasorein fighting human cavalry, thus meaning the option of spear and shield instead of a sword was far more in their interest, especially due to a lack of sufficient numbers of their own cavalry. Naming Conventions While the names of the Anasorein seem very generic and simple at the front, seeming to have copied over Thalassian and Darnassian naming conventions, the truth of the matter behind each name is very complex, and often, it is the reasoning as to why Anasorein take on more 'familiar' names to those who are not of their culture, or even speak their language. To this, many Anasorein will take a simplified 'common' name, which is done using the Thalassian naming conventions; A first name, followed by the surname made by using two elements, for instance, a type of metal and element, or a weapon and religious term, such as Dawnspear, Wintersteel, or Steelcinder. For the most part, many Anasorein can have up to a total of three names or aliases they use. Their traditional name given at birth, their 'common' name, and a more titled or formal name. To start, the more traditional name is composed of a first name, a middle name, often a title used to address who they are in society, and then their surname, which is often taken from their House if they belong to one, or a family name if they are not nobility. An example of a high ranking Anasorein would be Takashimi Sairi Aorustyr. Takashimi, meaning She Who is Faithful, is the first name, while Sairi, meaning High Sovereign or Great Leader, is their title, and Aorustyr being the Sevenoxana spelling of her House name, Aurelstar. The list of titles lies below: * Sairi - High Sovereign (King or Queen) • Taisho - Warlord (Equivalent to a a Duke) • Kainel - Bannerlord (Equivalent to a a Count) • Raishen - Bannerman (Equivalent to a Baron) • Kyrai - Leveknight (Equivalent to a Baronet or Landed Knight) • Cairen - Warrior (Equivalent to a Knight) Gender Roles Coming of Age From a cultural standpoint, the Anasorein follow an aspect of age similar to that of the Kaldorei, where one is considered a child by cultural standards until they reach a certain age. For the Anasorein, this age is typically anywhere from 300 to 500, depending on the person, their already accomplished feats, and their House. When one becomes 'of age' in Anasorein society, they are normally granted a banquet within their home, or, if permitted, holding of their liege-lord. This is small in part to how the traditional coming of age is ceremoniously celebrated. Traditional Rites By tradition, the start of a Coming of Age Ceremony is beset by the Anasorein who is to come of age being sent on a pilgrimage to a destination of importance to their inheritance. Normally, this is a place of origin for their House, such as House Vanewood originating from the Silver Woods, though in the case that such is not acceptable, due to the area being a city or other circumstance, such as the Fel Scar being too dangerous to travel to, they may instead travel to the Ruins of Quel'Dras. This pilgrimage is meant to teach the young Anasorein lessons in their ancestry, to learn of their heritage and birthright, of their magical potency. They bring a weapon that they have chosen, a weapon they wish to use for the remainder of their life. This weapon is to be imbued by them, and only them, with the magic of the god they worship. This symbolizes their devotion to the Anasorein, the Pantheon, and the hopeful reclamation of Amastril. The imbuement of their weapon, or relic in the case that they do not wish to wield a weapon, takes an approximate amount of two to three days to complete, upon which they are to return home, to the holding of their House. Upon return, the Anasorein is brought to their families reliquary and librarium. In the librarium, they will leave the imbued item. The purpose is to show that even after such trials, you do not need it for every day and every night. In its place is instead a quill, with which they write their name in their families book, to show their place in their families dynasty and legacy. This is normally written out as their name, and later, their title, when it is acquired in the ceremony days later. The ceremony itself is rather eloquent, a fanciful affair to honor the Anasorein who has come of age. It starts with them announcing who they are, their full natural born name, and after, the parent who is conducting the ceremony will give them their title, and name off their feats and accomplishments. An example of such is when Kalstrin Wintersteel came of age, and her father proclaimed her the Fury of the North, listing off her accomplishments, which including subduing the Kobold population, and restoring the North to a more pleasant state when he could not. After, the banquet starts, with many foods that were eaten daily on Amastril, but now served only as a delicacy for ceremonies such as this; Grilled fish, pickled fruits and vegetables, fish soups and extravagant rice dishes. For drinks, there is the choice of rice wine, peach and green teas, and other Anasorein drinks. Once the banquet is ended, everyone who is in attendance is blessed by the new 'adult' Anasorein, as a gesture of honor of their heritage. However, should the Anasorein who is going through the tasks of the Coming of Age be someone of a lower class, who is unable to receive a weapon or relic, or even be provided the aforementioned banquet, it will be up to their local lord to officiate the ceremony, whilst the father or mother of the Anasorein announces them for each step. The local lord is also required to keep a book for each family that is under their banner, such that if there are ten families, there will be ten books, one for each family. Tattoos A new, major part of Anasorein culture, is the addition of tattoos. Facial tattoos are the most common, while others are rarer to see. The tattoos that an Anasorein chooses is based upon their House, magical abilities, and accomplishments. Some are simple, whilst others are more extravagant. If wanted, they can even imbue the wearer with a higher magical potency. These tattoos are a part of the coming of age ceremony and rites, a new addition amongst the Anasorein, originating from the time of Arzalens reign, starting in the year 5,000 BQWS. They are speculated to be inspired by Arathorian Tribal Tattoos, which may be the case given that the Anasorein under Arzalen had a very friendly relationship with humans, and many parts of their cultures were adopted by both. Normally, the tattoo color is chosen to symbolize the persons god, though at other times, it is chosen to match their House, or just personal selection for what works best with the tattoo choice. Common colors are often of the red, green, blue, or golden variety, whilst more complex colors are mixtures of reds and violets, or silvers and greens. Marriage Traditions Magical Capability Whilst they are indeed an offshoot and evolutionary branch of the Highborne, some would consider the Anasorein more magically apt than their Highborne cousins, and the Quel'dorei. However, this is more due to their specialization in how they cast spells. More often than not, they use their mind as their focus, instead of a staff or sword. The Silverspell Arzalos Arcanashield, long ago, found a way to enhance ones magic, both aesthetically as well as its overall power. The Silverspell, he called it, would cause ones magic to form with a silver color, rather than its normal coloration, such as red for fire, or purple for arcane. Additionally, using this, ones power with spells was increased by as much as three times as a normal mage or sorcerer. Runecasting Another facet of Arzalos' ingenuity, he managed a new form of casting that completely revolutionized how people could cast, using their hands and minds as their focus. The cost of such casting however, was too exhausting to do it too often in the midst of combat. For such abilities, one had to memorize the runes needed for their spell, and draw it in the air with the element they wished to use in order to cast it. Only a few have mastered it in the modern day. Will of Aurelstar The Will of Aurelstar is a genetic trait only found within those who are from the lineage and bloodline of Arzalos, the first to practice this magic openly. The Will, as it is often shortened to, is a quirk that must be unlocked through extensive training of the mind, and being able to cast magic without uttering the prayers or rites needed for it as is often needed for most Anasorein. When one unlocks it, they must train themselves to advance it. As for what the Will of Aurelstar actually does is terrifying to an extent. Upon being able to use the power, one can use it to control the mind of another, and force them to do as they want. This can extend to several things, including an aura that makes people around the person with it more subservient to their will, and more willing to follow their commands, or agree with them. If the person using the power isn't powerful enough, even the weak minded can break through it and resist. The more powerful the user however, the less likely even a talented mage can resist the Will. There are four stages to the Will, though, it is speculated there is also a fifth unknown stage. The first requires an actual Incantation to cast, and is the weakest stage, requiring complete concentration to maintain control of the victims. The second stage is composed of the above mentioned aura, and though it is 'weaker' than other forms, it is a more humane form of the magic, due to it making others more subservient. Upon the third stage, one is able to look into anothers eyes to control them, while the fourth can accomplish this across an entire room of people simply by looking in their direction Notable Anasorein Out-of-Character Notes & Trivia Category:Races Category:Autarchy of Aurelia Category:Embershield Protectorate Category:Anasorein